Meet Joanna Pasiecnik | Producer, Writer & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanna Pasiecnik and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We started J and J Productions 2 years after moving to Atlanta. It was always our plan to own and operate our own business but once we started working in the film industry full time our plan was fast tracked, we saw the lack of opportunities for women and people of color and decided to be apart of the change rather than wait for someone to give us an opportunity. We took a short script Joanna had written months before and decided to hire an all female crew and get to work. From there we just continued to network with women who were trying to break into the industry and together helped build a strong portfolio for one another.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets J and J Productions apart is our dedication to uplifting and empowering women in front of and behind the camera. On all of our sets, we commit to hiring at least a 50% female workforce and most of the time, we work with all all female crews. All of the projects we produce are also entirely done by women writers and helmed by women directors. Women telling women’s stories is the core of what we do at J and J and we are work to achieve that at every step of the way. It was not easy to get to where we are today. In a male dominated field, as women business owners whose priority is to uplift and empower other women in our field, we were met with a lot of hostility. We had to overcome a lot of challenges that were rooted in ignorance, explaining to our peers in the film industry why it’s important to do what we’re doing. Giving a platform to women so that they can take up leadership roles- roles that are systematically denied to them in the film industry. Why it’s important to have women on the crew- to create an environment where women can thrive in when their personal safety and creative integrity are both protected and ensured. The lessons we have learned along the way are innumerable. We come from about as far as the film industry as you can get- having grown up on a farm in a small town in Massachusetts. Our lifelong passion for film and comedy is what inspired us to learn more and when we moved to Atlanta, we started our own business. We have had every job in film production from PA to script supervisor to line producer. We grew our business from the ground up. We gave ourselves the opportunities we weren’t getting elsewhere- to get above that line and emerge into leadership and creative producing roles. And we have learned that we are not alone in feeling excluded from those opportunities as women in the film industry. We want the world to know that J and J Productions is as formidable a brand as women have always needed to be to succeed in any creative industry. We are a one stop shop as far as production is concerned. From development to delivery we are an incubator of ideas, producing high quality videos that are funny, smart and with a unique point of view. Our story as twin sisters, growing a business together, getting out of our small town and creating a community of women and comedians in Atlanta, exhibits a strength and passion that people can believe in. We are leaders and we lead by example.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We love to show friends and family who are visiting us around Atlanta and take them to our favorite spots. For brunch, I would take someone to the local favorite “Home Grown.” Get the chicken and waffles or the vegetarian biscuits and gravy with a cup of hot coffee. Then I’d love to take them on a walk on the beltline, starting from the Freedom Parkway trail and take it all the way to Ponce City Market. We’d explore PCM for a bit, my favorite store in there is Modern Mystic, my favorite restaurant is Jia and my favorite place for cocktails if Biltong Bar. Get back on the beltline and walk down to Ladybird to hang out in their outdoor space for the rest of the evening. For a long weekend, definitely check out the Grant Park farmer’s market and grab a drink at Eventide Brewing. In any season, the botanical garden is worth a trip. Go to an improv show at Dad’s Garage. Head to downtown Decatur and get a nice dinner at The White Bull. So many wonderful places to eat and things to do in Atlanta.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We wouldn’t be anywhere without the help and support of our crew. Thank you to Sarah Suber and Alexxiss Jackson for being such great DPs and bringing your amazing crews on board. Thanks for always having fun with us!

Website: www.jandjproductioncompany.com
Instagram: jandjproductionsatl
Twitter: jandjproductionsatl
Facebook: jandjproductionsatl
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9q07totGPiV-aROyBmIaQ

Image Credits
P. Villa Photography